


Sunday Driving

by Morse_s Child (sherlockstummy)



Category: Inspector Morse (TV)
Genre: M/M, Non-sexual, Romantic Relationship, cuties being cuties, otp: yours aye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 03:23:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4003957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockstummy/pseuds/Morse_s%20Child
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lewis plans a picnic and drags Morse along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunday Driving

“Good morning, Sir!”

Morse stepped aside to allow his sergeant entry, frowning. It was the week-end, and only two possible things could bring him here. “It’s not a case, is it, Lewis?” Morse couldn’t take another case. He’d much rather have a pleasant week-end than to have to look at and think about death.

“No, Sir. No case.” Lewis was grinning. The cheekiness told Morse one thing; Lewis was up to something. Morse decided to play coy.

“So? What are you doing here, then?”

“Val and the kids are visiting their gran. I’ve begged off to catch up on housework. Repainting the kitchen ceiling, hanging new curtains, and suchlike. Thought I’d done enough work for today, and decided to come round.” Lewis followed Morse through his living room, eyeing his boss up and down. “Are you having a lie-in?”

And just like that, Morse caught the way Lewis dropped the formalities. Ah. A different sort of social call entirely. He smiled to himself, filling a glass of water and popping a few pills for his pains. “Is there a better way to spend a day like today?”

“I’ve got a thing in mind.” Lewis bobbed a bit, studying Morse’s shelves with feigned interest. Morse watched him out of the corner of his eye. Usually, Lewis’ energy was off-putting, but the excitement was certainly catching.

“Is that so?” Morse thoroughly enjoyed flirting with Lewis. He leaned elegantly against his doorframe, cradling the water glass in his hands. 

Lewis leaned above him, towering over him and beaming down with the exuberance of an excited puppy. “It is so.” He smiled, and Morse felt himself swept up in it. Well, he always was quick to love. And no one was easier to adore than his Lewis.

Something occurred to Morse. “You planned this!” He said it with a sort of delighted surprise that, at the same time, spoke volumes about Lewis’ predictability. 

“Aye. So, can we go?”

“I know of a few particularly private picnic spots.” Morse strode past Lewis, towards his stairs. “Though where we can get supplies for said picnic, I know not.”

“I thought of that, too.” Lewis said, smirking again. Morse turned, and Lewis bent to kiss him quickly. 

Morse cradled his cheek, holding him close for a second more. “I’ve got nothing in, Robbie.”  
“I’ve learned not to rely on your pantry.” Lewis kissed him again, just a brief flirtation of lips this time. “Supplies are in me car.”

Morse tsked. “You really did plan this!” He gave a short laugh. “Well! Have at it, then! You know where my silverware is.”

“There is one other thing,” Lewis said, hesitating at the door as Morse was about to go upstairs.

“Yes, Robbie?”

“You promised to teach me how to handle the Jag.”

“Well-plied by the bottom of several beers at the Trout, was it?” Morse smiled easily at Lewis’ slightly confused, slightly innocent look. “Right. You just worry about your sandwiches. Oh, and a few beers from my cabinet wouldn’t go amiss.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“When will it be my turn to handle her?”

“When we get far enough out that we can change drivers. It’s not far.” Morse’s eyes were on the road ahead, so he couldn’t see Lewis gazing at him lovingly.

“Aye. I’m looking forward to it.” Lewis stretched, folding his arms beneath his head in a careless, comfortable gesture.

After a few moments, Morse slowed and pulled over. “All right, time to switch.”

Lewis looked around him. He couldn’t see anything but tall grass and a long stretch of road for miles. He’d been under the impression they were going to a park. “Where are we?”

“A secret picnicking spot, where no one will bother us.” Morse glanced over at Lewis’ confused expression and laughed. “What? Did you honestly think we were going to a park in Oxford?”

“Yeah!”

“Do you think that would be wise?” Morse got out of the car. “Use your head, Robbie!”

Lewis shrugged, folding out of the Jag gracefully. “I guess not.”

Morse slid into the passenger side and watched Lewis take a seat behind the wheel of the Jag. He looked so young, like a child pretending to drive his father’s car. “You have to shift gears with her. Think you can do that?”

Lewis buckled himself in and reverently smoothed his hands over the steering wheel. “She’s beautiful.”

“Wait until you feel her go.” Morse nodded to the gearshift. To his surprise, Lewis expertly put the car in drive and pulled smoothly back onto the road. “Excellent.”

Lewis revved the Jag’s engine and laughed as the car jolted forward. Morse held onto the side of the door, but didn’t have the heart to shout. Not when the wind tossled Lewis’ hair so nice, his profile looking young and handsome and soft…the epitome of everything he loved about his junior partner.

If asked when and how he fell in love, Morse couldn’t say. He never knew he could fall in love with another man, never mind a man so different from himself as Lewis. This love was so much deeper and much more different than the attraction he felt towards women. It seemed pure and overflowing. As much as Morse was a romantic, he found that, even when he thought his stores of love had dried up, he always had more to give…but only to Lewis. It seemed locked towards anyone else, and Morse could not explain himself, except that he knew that he was in love. And once he knew Robbie returned his feelings, he was past caring about what to call it. 

Love. Love alone would do.

Heart suddenly full, Morse laughed aloud. Lewis spared a glance at him and thought about what a glorious sound that was to hear. That he alone could produce such music made him feel proud. What he felt for his superior was complicated, especially because it took away no love or affection from Val. Morse simply needed to be loved, and Lewis had plenty of love to spare.

“Pull over here.” Morse said suddenly. Lewis pulled over to the side of the road. The long grass was behind them, and a romantic scene lay ahead. A small stream bubbled and along the banks, several dozen large, shady trees made their homes. Morse got out of the car and Lewis grabbed the basket and the carpet and followed.

Morse stopped by the tree with the thickest trunk and kindly held the basket while Lewis fixed the carpet. He’d commandeered one of Morse’s throws, but the older man didn’t mind. He knew for a fact that Lewis liked the way he smelled. Why, he had no idea, only that Lewis did, and so he accepted it. Carpet spread, they sat down, both well-shaded by the tree. The stream babbled and sang as it went on its way. Morse closed his eyes, resting his head against the trunk as Lewis opened his sandwiches.

“Pass me a beer, Lewis.”  
“Does that mean I’m driving?” Lewis handed him the beer.

“Well, you only brought two, didn’t you? I can drive after one beer. What?” This was in response to Lewis’ eyes still searching him.

Lewis held out the other sandwich towards him.

“I’m not very hungry.”

“Please?” The hand inched closer insistently. 

“Robbie…”

“Just half? I promise I won’t nag any more if you eat half.” Lewis’ bright blue-gray eyes were soft but concerned, rather like his expressive, open face. Morse could tell that worry fueled his actions, so he gave in, leaning forward with a grunt to fetch the sandwich. Instantly, as if a switch had been flipped, Lewis relaxed and turned to rest his back against Morse’s shoulder, braced by the tree.

They ate in silence, listening to the stream nattering on and the wind blowing the branches and leaves above their heads, to the frogs and birds singing a chorus, to the bees buzzing as they worked.

Lewis finished eating first and necked the last of his beer with a contented sigh. He shifted and lay down, his head and the tops of his shoulders resting in Morse’s lap.

Morse swallowed the lat of his promised half-sandwich with the help of his beer and looked humorously down at Lewis. “Comfortable?”

“Mm.” Lewis smiled, opening one eye. “Did you finish your lunch?”

Morse waved the remaining half in sarcastic triumph, making Lewis huff a chuckle. 

“Will you eat your whole sandwich someday?”

“If you cut it into fourths, maybe.” Morse smiled, his eyes off in the distance and his hand in Lewis’ hair. “Everything tastes better when you make it.”

“Maybe I’ll put a little sugar on the cheese,” Lewis teased, giggling as Morse cuffed his shoulder.

Silence.

“Will you say something pretty?”

“What a strange request.” Morse looked down fondly at his young lover, brushing strands of hair away from Lewis’ pretty eyes. “May I ask what about?”

Lewis shrugged. “Poetry? Wisdom? Anything, really.” He nuzzled into Morse’s hand, turning his head slightly so he could feel the inspector’s fingertips on his cheek. “I like the sound of your voice.”

“That’s a pretty thing to say.” Morse smiled down at him.

Lewis closed his eyes, resting against Morse’s hand. “Will you?”

Morse tilted his head back and thought long and hard. Finally, he settled on the perfect verse: 

“ _Henceforth I shall know That Nature ne'er deserts the wise and pure; No plot so narrow, be but Nature there, No waste so vacant, but may well employ Each faculty of sense, and keep the heart Awake to Love and Beauty! and sometimes 'Tis well to be bereft of promis'd good, That we may lift the soul, and contemplate With lively joy the joys we cannot share._ ”

Lewis hummed softly. “Very pretty.” He turned to look up at Morse. “What’s that from?”

“Coleridge.” Morse closed his eyes, suddenly feeling quite sleepy. “It’s a poem about nature. He wrote it while his friends went out walking and he was too sick to join them.”

“Oh.” Lewis watched the shadows cast by the leaves play across Morse’s face. “I liked it.”

“I have a book of his poems, if you’re interested.”

“Only if you read them to me. Poetry doesn’t seem right if it’s not spoken well.”

Morse smiled. “I can assure you, Robbie, the way you speak has its own charm.”

“I’ll remind you of that next time you get on with me about me grammar.”

Morse grunted, flapping his hand aimlessly in Lewis’ general direction. “Oh, go on. I’m too sleepy just now to deal with your nonsense.”

“Nice day for napping.” Lewis agreed, yawning. “Could do with one meself.”

“Hmm.” Morse relaxed slightly against the tree, folding his hands over his stomach. “I told you it was a good day for a lie-in.”

“And I told you it was a good day for a picnic.” Lewis likewise folded his hands over his stomach.

They had been dozing off when something nudged Morse back to consciousness. “When do you expect your family, Lewis?”

The formality roused the younger man, making him sit up and rub his eyes. “Not until evening. Why?”

“Oh, then we have time.” Morse yawned, stretching. “Lie back down and rest with me, Robbie. There is time enough for all things in this world.”

Lewis grinned and obeyed. “What’s that from?”

“E. Morse.” Morse replied, chuckling. “Now, go to sleep.”

And they did.

It turned out they’d both been right after all.


End file.
